Band’s Christmas single will aid Syrian relief effort

Mike McQuaid

Lanarkshire band December have shown true Christmas spirit by recording a single to help victims of the war in Syria.

Their version of U2’s Where The Streets Have No Name will be released on Christmas Eve. All proceeds from the band’s royalties will go to a charity which works with Syrian refugees and those in need in the war-torn city of Aleppo.

December are big U2 fans and their first single, Alison Stewart, was named after Bono’s wife as a tribute to the Irish supergroup. The follow up, Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish, was in honour of the Scottish football legend.

Earlier this year December were invited to play at a concert in Dublin to mark U2’s 40th birthday.

The band intend to donate all of their proceeds from the new single to the Syria Refugee Relief Fund, a charity established by Will Wintercross, a photo-journalist with the Daily Telegraph, when he was deeply affected after covering the war in Syria.

Ails Pattison, singer with December, said: ‘We have been watching the coverage of Aleppo like everyone else. We initially felt angry then heartbroken and a bit helpless. But we’re not helpless really.

“We can’t stop what is going on - only governments can do that - but we can all do small things which can help the people. This is a small thing we can do as a band.

“There are a lot of financial demands on people at Christmas. But if everyone who hears the single donates a pound, euro or dollar it will change the lives of children and families in Aleppo.”

‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ will be available to download from iTunes and all other digital services from December 24.